NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
(CHAPTER FIVE)
by CANISA

 

-Friends-


"He is recovering fast and is looking good." Trowa notes, eyeing at the patient who is supposed to be in bed but now is in the dinning room wolfing down box and box of ice cream.

"Hn."  The King's new personal guard merely produces some sort of sound to acknowledge Trowa's presence.  He is dressed in a khaki uniform with red badge on his right arm.  His black hair tied neatly behind his head.

"Consider that you fractured every bones in his body.  And not to mention you knocked him out cold, leaving him unconscious for a few days... He is doing pretty good right now.  Do you always take matters that seriously, Wufei?"  Trowa has respect for this man.  He remembers the fight between Heero and Wufei well.   Even facing the King of the world,  Wufei showed no intimidation nor unnecessary politeness.  He fought with every skill he got, honoring his opponent by holding nothing back.  They fought until their strength drained away.  Finally Trowa had to step in to declare an even match after 6 hours of straight combating under the heated weather.  The King
immediately offer Wufei the position right there on the battle field.  And Wufei, knowing that he will be protecting a just and honorable King, accepted the offer.        

"I do not fight the weak.  And I do not hold back to anyone who is worthy to be my opponent."  Wufei leans against the wall.  His head bows down a bit.   Eyes close.  Arms cross in front of his chest.

"I will take that as a compliment!  Wu-chan ^_^ "  The man in bandage yells back from the dinning table, grinning at his new found friend, --Wu-chan--.

Wufei growls.  Trowa, on the other hand, just looks at this ever-cheerful American.   Or rather, the King's koi.   Yes, Trowa is amazed at how this braided young man grabbing Heero's heart like that.  For three days straight, Heero sat next to the patient, day and night with no break in between.  He never really laid his hand on the American, nor did he ever whispered any words to him.  Heero just sat there while the American slept on.  No words, no nothing.  Yet Trowa could feel the compassion and care radiated from Heero. 

At first, Trowa questioned about how everything start or even how they met.  But it doesn't matter now.  Seeing that his friend at peace is all he ever wanted.   Trowa pauses. Was Heero ever like his when he was with Relena?  Trowa thinks back.  Nothing comes to him.  Trowa is puzzled.  He turns his attention to the King who is sitting next to the ice-cream eater. Trowa could see that Heero's right hand lazily places on the American's chair and his left hand on the dinning table as if he is marking a territory around the injured person.  Possessive.  Was Heero ever possessive of Relena?  Trowa thinks hard.  Nothing comes to him.  Shifting his attention to Heero's face, Trowa is disappointed to see that his friend still has that emotionless mask on him. Yet, his eyes do look a lot softened from before.  Did Heero ever look at Relena like that?  Trowa thinks hard again.  Still nothing comes to him.  Trowa is even more puzzled than before.  Either his memory is failing him or...

"Hey Trowa, you want some ice cream too? You have been staring at it for awhile."   A mouth full of ice cream does not stop the baka from chatting away.

Trowa lightly shakes his head.  What makes this man so different?  Trowa silently wonders.

-The Pain-

Gosh, this palace is huge. Someday I will have to bring those kids here for a grand tour. 

"Na.. Heero, what are you going to show me this time?"  I ask my koi, who is silently walking next to me.  I wonder how the hell he ever keeps up with me like that.  I always hop around and he just....walk.  But somehow I always find him right beside me. I feel safe.  I feel protected.

"Wow what is this room?"  I stopped before a huge door decorated with diamonds and crafted in gold.  My curiosity takes over.  Before Heero could say anything, I push the door open.  The bright light coming from the big windows is the first thing that gets me.   When I finally could open my eyes, I see an elegant room filled with vases of fresh flowers.  The books are neatly placed on the expensive hand crafted wooden shelves.  The bed is covered with laced fabric. A teddy bear resting next to the pillow. The crystal table leaning against next to the fireplace.   And above the fireplace there is a huge picture of a lovely blond woman.

 I scratch my head a little bit.  This woman looks awfully familiar to me.  And then something snaps in place.  Ah, the Queen.  Heero's wife.  The person who had Heero's heart before me.  Who made Heero grieve with excessive sorrow.  Whose death steals my koi's heart and smiles.  She looks so perfect, so serene.  BAKA!  She was the Queen of the world ne?

"Your wife surely was beautiful."  Not facing Heero, I mutters.  I touch a pen lying on the desk.  It belongs to her.   I could just picture her using this pen writing up invitations to people around the world, asking them to come to celebrate Heero and her wedding, their first anniversary, Heero's birthday.....  Holding the pen, I glance at a scratch paper full of her neat handwriting.. no.. perfect handwriting.  They must have spent a lot of time in this room.  He probably gave her that teddy bear.  He must have made love to her on that bed every night......

I must be joking to myself that I could ever surpass this woman.

"She must be perfect and worthy of your love, Heero.  Gosh, this place is so damn organized, look at this pen.  Is this crystal too?  Don't you guys ever running out of that stuff?  Sheesh, even a pen is made out of..."  I turn around and is shocked to see my koi is trembling. Trembling with what?  Anger?

"Get out" he says, in a tone that I have never heard him use before, like an injured animal making its' last horrifying growl.  "PUT THAT DOWN AND GET OUT." He repeats and it leaves me shudder.

 My reflex makes me drop the pen on the floor and rush past through him.  Even in that split second, I catch his eyes and recognize that look from him.  It is a look of horror mixed with hatred.  It pains me.  Thay beam straight into my heart, tearing it into pieces.  He had called me koi and kissed me that night when I attacked him.  But that was all.  Now that I think back, even though he is constantly besides me, he never touches me again nor ever speaks to me like that after that night.  He hates me.  He hates me for touching her stuff.  He hates me for invading his true love's treasures.  He hates my presence in her room... their room. 

Why didn't I notice it before.  He still loves her.  He still lives in her memory.  Has he ever smiled at me?  Never, all he does is staring at me.   Yeah.. probably wishing that I am the Relena that he had lost to Death.  Has he ever call me by my name?  Does he even know my name?  No. he never bothered to ask.  Why would he?  He never intend to keep me around long, at least not long enough to learn my name anyway.  He never asks anything, not even my past.

 God, please make this pain go away.  Just make it go away.


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